Tuesday, December 3, 2013

I've been in Georgia for a while now, and just like being anywhere would it's helping me grow into the person I will be. Too many people let their growth stagnate once they've reached adulthood or achieved certain milestones and that's something I promised myself I never would. As human beings we should never stop growing or changing. We have to adapt and develop while keeping the things we're pleased with even if we feel "complete" and quite frankly, I've never met a person who has been completely happy with themselves that's ended their development.

This one really isn't about me. It's about Chris. He's done some changing and some difficult staying the same. We came to Georgia to spend time with his family and be a part of it. We wanted to help his grandfather and do what we could to be a part of the life his family has here just like we did with my family. We both knew that this change would be difficult for me since I've had an irrational fear of anything below the Mason-Dixon line and have spent my whole life in the Philadelphia area with the exception of college, which I also spent in Pennsylvania.
Chris, however, was ready for a change. Changing to be with his family made perfect sense. He has always had a deep seated care for his family, even from far away. This is a place that he's always felt like was his home. The place where he was born and the place he knew he could always come home to. So we came home for him.
No matter what plans people make or how many different endings they can see things have a way of changing. Situations are rarely what we believe them to be when we see them. It is only when you're in these situations that you can see everything, experience everything, and make decisions about everything. It reminds me of a place I used to go often, a house on a hill across from a farm. This farm had fields and fields of whatever it was that they grew and a house that sat on top of the hill. I'd taken a photo of it to look at when I was away. The photograph couldn't capture the intricacy of the place's reality. Now I know this is true of almost everything.
Without getting into too much detail, things here weren't exactly as they were portrayed to us before we came, or even when we first arrived. It has taken being here for some time to get a fuller picture. This new information comes with it's challenges. Reason dictates that we change our plans, goals, and objectives based on the new information we gain. There is only one problem with that reason. What if our original goals and objectives were to care for people that we care about? To become a part of what is, not change it to what we believe it could be? What if our main priority is simply to care about and learn about what has been in with a place or person so that we can take the things we have grown to love into ourselves so that we can carry them on to the rest of out lives? And what if the things we believed in were somehow threatened or endangered? What do we do then?
Christopher has done an amazing job here. First with helping out in little ways that were appreciated, from cutting the grass to making sure the correct lights are on at night. He's grown in his own ways and that growth has helped him become a true man in the eyes of the man that he wanted to grow up to be. In becoming that man he's been able to become his friend as well. While this may seem small to so many it is so big. When you can become adult enough to transcend the relationship you've always known and valued and also become a friend to one of the most important people in your life you've reached a point that so many never do. I'd like to think that my mother and I developed into friends years ago, and knowing that I have her respect on that level with her being my model for adulthood means more than people can understand.
Back from that tangent things here have changed a bit. It would be easy to abandon the goals and objectives that were originally held. This would be easier if it felt like no one around you held those same objectives, or had a pattern of behavior that seems easier than doing things the way we believe to be right. Even with this knowledge and the blatant behaviors of others my darling has remained strong in his conviction. He could have easily let go of his principles and gone with the flow of others. He could get up and leave whenever he pleased so that he doesn't have to witness events or behaviors that cause him discomfort, displeasure, or discontent. He could ignore the events around him and try to go on about his daily life, trying to keep it away while he worked towards the life goals that he's set out to achieve. All of this would be easier than continuing on, caring for people that we care about, becoming a part of what is, not change it to what we believe it could be, simply caring about and learning about what has been with a place or person so that we can take the things we have grown to love into ourselves so that we can carry them on to the rest of out lives.
Chris carries on with these goals, with one addition: preservation. He continues to work towards the goals we've had and preserve the lifestyle and wellbeing of the people who have helped him become the man that he is, and will continue to be. The simple fact that he has been able to hold fast to the things that he cares for, and dedicate himself so fully, is absolutely heartwarming. It helps me to remember that I've chosen the man I will marry carefully, and for this I am grateful.

Wednesday, October 30, 2013

It's been 3 months since my last blog entry, and 3 months since I left the lovely greater Philadelphia area. A lot has changed but the important things stay the same. My lovely brother-in-law to be got a long story about my relationship with Chris last night, and part of it had to do with this blog. He was interested so I guess I'm inspired even though I've just been writing on paper lately. Lets just call this one an update blog.
I got to Georgia without event. The two day trip wasn't as bad as I thought it would be and my lovely kitty made it just fine. Thankfully my mother was kind enough to get us a pet friendly hotel room to break up the trip. The first thing that Chris fed me once we were deep enough south was Krystal's. For anyone who doesn't know they make these little steamed hamburgers. I don't like them but they're one of Chris's favorites.
Everyone here has been very sweet to me, making sure that I have anything that I need. They've been helpful and caring, aiding in my search for local doctors of all types. When I came here a large part of it was to help me work on myself and get as healthy (body and brain) as possible so that I could be back to 100% at home and eventually at work again. We have finally found what I think will be everything I need as far as doctors go.
Chris and I have made massive wedding progress. We have decided that we'll be getting married in the chapel that his grandparents, the only couple we know that stayed together, were married in back in the 1940s. We settled on a very small guest list of family and very close friends. We found a lovely place for our reception across the state line in Chattanooga. We made a super cute save the date and sent them out to our tiny guest list. My mom came to visit in the middle of this month and we found my dress in Atlanta. We still need fairly little things like a baker, my hair and makeup stylist, a florist, and choosing the invitations. Chris has been so helpful with all of this that I'm not remotely worried about getting them done. If for some reason you want to see more about our super sweet wedding you can check out our site here: http://harrisandgaudioso.ourwedding.com/
Chris's family is doing fairly well, although I'm pretty self absorbed between finding doctors, getting a staph infection, and trying to get my head in order. Fairly recently Chris's mom has gone to stay with her boyfriend and his brother has come to stay at his granddad's house like us. Its wonderful to have the chance to be around and really get to know his family, especially with how much time he spent with mine.
Some people ask me how or why I came here. They don't understand how a person can quit their job, leave their home, be away from their family and everything they've ever known. It's really really simple. It's Chris's turn to be there for his family. He spent years with me in Pennsylvania while I finished my degree and established my career. He helped to create Christmas and was there for birthdays. He acted as a part of my family and showed them that he would be good to me for the rest of our lives. Now it's time for the roles to change and me to take on getting to know families and do what I can to support him and help out. I've become a firm believer in the concept of taking turns and supporting each other evenly. It helps to avoid resentment and give each other what they need.

Long story short, I'm glad that I decided to come here. The slower place of life is a nice change, leaving work and taking a break was necessary. If anybody isn't sure if they should take a leap like this I think I'd tell them they should.

Tuesday, July 30, 2013

My last post told a little fairy tale about a (generally) wintertime holiday. This little fairy tale takes some multicultural cues, and is going on right now...

I'm pretty much bedbound right now. It's junky. I pulled a muscle or something else super crappy packing yesterday, and I have to testify in court by phone today. Everyone cheer for a little subpoena. It hasn't really been a great couple of days what with leaving my job, preparing to leave my family, and preparing testimony that could change the course of some people's life. I don't like most of these things and find myself feeling irritable and easily upset simply because of the stressors. It's like a bonus period week!
Some of you may not have heard yet, so I'll explain. Somewhat recently Chris and I have decided to move our life together to the lovely state of Georgia. Many things have gone into this decision, but I think it really boils down to the simple fact that for years we have been close to my family, Chris has spent his time being supportive while I finished my schooling and started a career, and now it's my turn to be the support. It's time that we get to spend time with his family and that I get to know them better. We will all be part of the same family some day soon, and it's time to act that way.
I've left my job on good terms. They have been supportive and caring and if I would like to go back it will be an option. I put in a lot of work to be finished appropriately and one of the last things I had to do was testify for a court case that landed in my lap. My coworkers were mega sweet and got me an amazingly delicious cake. I seriously almost cried.
Now I'm done with work and all of that, just packing and getting ready to go. Chris will be here Saturday to help me get all of my things and the animals there. I don't like living among boxes but it has to be done. Yesterday at some point (most likely when I lifted a box of books to stack up) I pulled something in my back and now it's incredibly painful and really really inconvenient when it comes to timing!
No matter what it is that's going on it will be over(ish) soon. Chris Charming will be here to whisk me away on Saturday, and our life will move to Georgia. We'll do our best to make it work there and we'll do our best to be happy.

“The scariest thing about distance is that you don’t know whether they’ll miss you or forget you.” Thanks Nicolas Sparks. Chris and I pass this one every time. Every time We're apart we miss each other more than anything else. We fight, we debate about important and not so important things, he makes me laugh and I try to do the same. That man can probably make me do anything he'd like because I love him so very much.

Tuesday, July 2, 2013

Once upon a time there was a group of people that came together due to a mutual interest in helping people. They came from different places, most hours and hours away, to engage in a program and learn more than they had before so that they could pursue careers that they anticipated loving. Each of these people ended up in this particular place, in this particular program, for various reasons, and those reasons are irrelevant for this particular fairy tale.
Within this group smaller groups formed. The smaller groups were fluid and often able to come together, separate, swap members, swap back and generally get along. The larger group and the smaller groups were good spirited, generally happy, worked well together and the people within them somehow seemed to grow to care about one another very quickly. Their caring was shown frequently and genuinely. These people were in a field of caring, and they did seem to fit in.

This particular smaller group had grown close and studied together, cared for one another, and were reliable when it really counted. This group was made up of three girls and a boy; Nicole, Carla, Andrew and myself. The winter months came and this group had a sad matter brought to their attention. Hanukkah fell early that year, and made it so that Carla, who happened to be Jewish, would not be able to spend it with her family. Instead she would be spending the time of celebration studying, states away from her loving family. Andrew told Nicole and myself about the unfortunate timing of these events, so we had no option except to act. This little group had grown close for a reason, and the reason was that we already cared.

Andrew volunteered his apartment, Nicole her sneaky friend skills and her car, my mother food and a little bit of funding, and me some mediocre cooking skills and enthusiasm. While Carla prepared to spend these 8 nights of celebration alone, away from her family, knowing that they would be spending this time together while she did her best to learn, we went to work. The three of us snuck around behind Carla's back to learn everything we could about this very traditional holiday as quickly as we could to throw together a surprise to help one of our friends be just a little less homesick during a holiday we didn't necessarily understand.

In addition to bringing it to our attention and volunteering his apartment for this surprise, Andrew helped us by speaking with his family and friends to find traditional music and other common rituals that we might be able to pull off. He let me come over early to decorate his apartment somewhat sparsely (you have to remember that we were still poor college young adults) in the traditional colors and with Hanukkah decorations that my loving mother (who hadn't even met these people, I might add) found for us. I brought recipes that I found online, and hoped that Carla could help us with them since they seemed a little more complex than I was used to. Andrew also surprised me with a box of chocolates as a gift to my mother for helping us pull some of this together.

While Andrew and I scrambled to get this little party together, Nicole did her part. She picked up a somewhat saddened Carla for our scheduled study session. Carla had been putting on a brave face for us, but we all knew how sad we would have been if we had to miss Christmas with our families. Nicole and Andrew pulled off what may have been the most difficult part of this whole little plan, which was convincing Carla that she needed to come up to the apartment instead of just picking Andrew up. We worked together to bring a little light to the festival of lights that one of our friends held dear.

At one point, Andrew even confiscated my phone.

Anyone who knows me knows that this was a dangerous move for him to try, but I let him keep it for a bit so that we all could dedicate our attention to our darling friend.

It isn't time for Hanukkah again. I haven't even seen these people in over 2 years now, since I graduated. I don't even know what made me think of that darling evening that spread so much sweetness and caring between the four of us. This celebration was during our very first semester together. Following that a lot of things happened to push us closer together or pull us apart, but no matter what happens, I'll always remember my Hanukkah.

Thursday, February 14, 2013

Young lovers across the world give each other mix tapes. It's phenomenon that we may never really understand. This Valentine's Day I thought I'd look over the first two tapes (CDs, but leave me the nostalgia or hipsterism of calling them tapes, please) I made for Chris. We're going to have to split them up, and honestly I should split them even further. This is just tape #1, and it's got 24 tracks, so buckle up your seat belts, grab some headphones, and laugh. Try to remember that I'd been way out of practice. Chris had not, he'd already given me at least one, maybe 3 by this point. I hadn't tried this for quite some time. Some of these songs have important lyrics, some of them have lyrics and explanations. You won't like all of them. So, with that in mind, lets give it a look?Song Number 1: Let It Be Sung, Jack Johnson

"Why don't I just give you everything you'll take from me? 'Cuz nobody owns anything and everyone is free.... And I know what your heart is telling you, 'cuz my heart's telling me the same thing too."

This is adorable, and true. Things were complicated, but I was open at that point. I knew that Chris was different, special, and... well, I can't put words to it, but I knew it would stick.Song #2 Here Comes Your Man

"There is a wait so long, you'll never wait so long, here comes your man."Screw you if you say I didn't wait for this man. I had a chance to take on full lives with other people, but I couldn't settle for something or someone I'd eventually hate. Song #3 I Want To Know Your Plans, Say Anything

I shouldn't have to help anyone with this one...Song #4 Put Your Hands On Me, Joss Stone

"I guess I'm picky with love .Well baby I give it up it's you I choose and don't keep me waiting. This girl's got things she needs to do. Oh if I was blind, you'd help me see. If I lost my mind, you'd find it for me.Speak on it babe, tell me what do you need, because all I need is for you to love me baby....

Can't stop my mind from thinking of you. How am I supposed to function? Got me feelin' for your lips on my kiss all night, never want no other lover."Everyone's got a little modern soul, right? We all need some loving. ;)Song #5 She's So Lovely, Scouting for Girls

"It's easy to tease me. You never ever look that pleased to see me. I don't know, I don't know, I don't know how we'll make it through this."Things were not always easy, but he kept grabbing my attention.Song #6 Voice On Tape, Jenny Owen Youngs

"And you say that I don't have this down,but I've been practicing out loud.I want you back and forth. I want you up and down. I want you back and forth......"I wanted Chris however he was, no matter what. Song #7 Addicted to Company, Paddy Casey

"And is there something you're not sure of? Are you looking for a sign? Waiting for somebody to throw your heart a line? Or a quick and easy answer In a dark, uneasy time?Maybe that's alright. That's enough for tonight.And that's alright. That's enough for tonight."We didn't have to be serious right away, it was ok. But we were anyway.Song #8 Aeroplane Over The Sea, Neutral Milk Hotel

And one day we will dieAnd our ashes will flyFrom the aeroplane over the seaBut for now we are youngLet us lay in the sunAnd count every beautiful thing we can seeLove to beIn the arms of all I'm keeping here with me

What a curious lifeWe have found here tonightThere is music that sounds from the streetThere are lights in the cloudsAnna's ghost all aroundHear her voice as it's rolling and ringing through meSoft and sweetHow the notes all bend and reach above the treesSong #9 Everything, Michael Buble

"And you play it coy but it's kinda cute. Ah, when you smile at me you know exactly what you do. Baby don't pretend that you don't know it's true 'cause you can see it when I look at you.And in this crazy life, and through these crazy times It's you, it's you, you make me sing."Chris loved my singing. I'd done an open mic before I gave him this awesome mix, and he said he wished he could be there. I wore something of his so that if I got nervous I could just squeeze, like I do with his hands.Song #10 First Day of My Life, Bright Eyes

"Remember the time you drove all night just to meet me in the morning? And I thought it was strange you said everything changed. You felt as if you'd just woke up. And you said “this is the first day of my life. I’m glad I didn’t die before I met you, but now I don’t care I could go anywhere with you and I’d probably be happy.”This one's super legit. Things used to matter to me pretty much a lot. Money, jobs, house, all of it. Chris changed that. Song #11 Tell Me Again, Ron Sexsmith

"You look into my eyes and the words you say help me to realize love won’t ever fade, but I can’t believe what I’m hearing. Please tell me again. No, I can’t believe what I’m feeling, please tell me again."This girl had just gotten out of a serious relationship and had no plans for a new one. It was scary, but comforting at the same time. It was love.Song #12 Sunday Morning, Maroon 5

"Sunday morning, rain is falling. Steal some covers, share some skin. Clouds are shrouding us in moments unforgettable, you twist to fit the mold that I am in. But things just get so crazy, living life gets hard to do and I would gladly hit the road, get up and go if I knew that someday it would lead me back to you."But it doesn't always lead you back. I learned that and felt poorly about it for a little while. So there's no leaving this one... Not ever.Song #13 F-Stop Blues, Jack Johnson

"Look who's laughing now that you've wasted how many years and you've barely even tasted anything remotely close to everything you've boasted about." Can we take a minute to appreciate this video? Love so much! In all seriousness. Chris had been in a long relationship. He even considered asking her to marry him at one point a long time ago. But he'd never lived life like he should have. I wanted to help, so we laughed together.Song #14 Stupid Cupid, Mandy Moore

"You mixed me up for good right from the very start. Hey, go play Robin Hood, with somebody else's heart. You've got me jumpin' like a crazy clown,and I don't feature what you're putting down. Since I kissed his loving lips of wine, the thing that bothers me is that I like it fine.

Hey hey, set me free. Stupid Cupid, stop picking on me."Yea, this thing hit hard and fast. I loved it, but sometimes I felt like I was too much in love, way too early. NOT FAIR!Song #15 Daydreamer, Adele

"Is the subject of their talk. He would be hard to chase but good to catch, and he could change the world with his hands behind his back."Angie oh sorry, my ex best friend and I, used to talk about Chris and this other dude. All the time. At that point we both thought they could be that future one. Now I hear we're both marrying them, and I'm pleased. I'll have the rest of my life to see what changes to the world Chris can make.

Song #16 Porchrail, Jenny Owen Youngs

"Don't move or blink, I just need a minute to sit and think. I've got a span of attention as long as my teeth. Every urge I let swing me turns tragically brief. There's nothing more attractive than that one thing you just can't have." It wasn't for sure yet. We had a way to go before we were solid, and I'm like a time bomb. Turns out he's a bomb diffusion technician. Song #17 Grey or Blue, Jaymay

Let's enjoy this serendipidy moment. "Are you too nervous to be lovers, friendships ruined with just one kiss. I watched you very closely I saw you look away your eyes are either gray or blue I'm never close enough to say. But your sweatshirt says it all with the hood over your face. I can't keep staring at your mouth without wondering how it tastes. I'm with another boy; he's asleep, I'm wide awake and he tried to win my heart, but it's taken time...I know the shape of your hands because I watch them when you talk, and I know the shape of your body 'cause I watch it when you walk, and I want to know it all but im giving you the lead. So go on, go on and take it, don't fake it"

Song #18 You're The Reason I Come Home, Ron Pope

"The street's asleep so I breathe you in deep. The tragedies of chemistry. People dream of what you and me have found effortlessly. You're the reason I come home. You're the reason I come home my love. You're the reason that when everything I know falls apart. You're the reason I come home."

It wasn't too long before we noticed that home was together. Now we try to be home as often as we can, no matter our geographical locations.

Song #19 Sugar Town, Zooey Deschenel

"If I had a million dollars or ten, I'd give it to your world and then, you'd go away and let me spend my life in shu shu shu, shu shu shu, shu shu shu shu shu shu Sugar Town."Song #20 She Gave Me Love, The Getaway People

"I met my baby by the station. She said: "Can I help you with some information?"'Cause your train gets out at a quarter to five, but you could stay a while, you and I could get funky to the rhythm of the choo-choo-train dancin' in the pourin' rain. I found myself in the most beautiful of situations..."And I did find myself in the most beautiful of situations. In some whirlwind romance that I never asked for or expected. Song #21 405, Death Cab for Cutie

"Red wine and the cigarettes... hide your bad habits underneath the patio."Everyone knows there are things we'd like to keep to ourselves. We don't all do it.Song #22 Wouldn't It Be Nice, Beach Boys

Wouldn't it be nice if we were older Then we wouldn't have to wait so long And wouldn't it be nice to live together In the kind of world where we belong

You know its gonna make it that much better When we can say goodnight and stay together

Wouldn't it be nice if we could wake up In the morning when the day is new And after having spent the day together Hold each other close the whole night through

Happy times together we've been spending I wish that every kiss was never ending Wouldn't it be nice

Maybe if we think and wish and hope and pray it might come true Baby then there wouldn't be a single thing we couldnt do We could be married And then wed be happy

Wouldn't it be nice

You know it seems the more we talk about it It only makes it worse to live without it But lets talk about it Wouldn't it be niceSong #23 You and I, Ingrid Michealson

"Maybe I think you're cute and funny, Maybe I wanna do want bunnies do with you if you know what I mean...Well you might be a bit confused, and you might be a little bit bruised, but baby how we spoon like no one else. So I will help you read those books, if you will soothe my worried looks, and we will put the lonesome on the shelf."This is the song I sang at the open mic, with the help of a dear friend of course. The song that by the end of singing I had letters and marks from the metal I was clutching super hard in my hand. Ever since then he started liking the song too. Song #24 Tomorrow Morning, Jack Johnson

Well that's alrightIf that's alright2000 miles were stillAnd that's alrightAnd that's alrightIf that's alrightI'll see you in the morningIf that's alrightAnd what would you do if I wrote you a songWould you give me some lovin' when I get homeOr would you be mad at me if I had a hard timeGettin a hold of youI try all the timeAnd I think thatYou don't know anybody that could beSo badBut if you didYou'd be wonderin' where I'm atWell I'll be home when tomorrow mornin comesWhat would you do if i sang you this songThe connection is bad but that's only the phone'Cause when my words kiss your earI'll be right thereThe message is long'Cause baby this is your songI think thatYou don't know anybody that could beSo badBut if you didYou'd be wonderin' where I'm atWell I'll be home when tomorrow morninAnd I think thatYou don't know anybody that could beSo badBut if you didYou'd be wonderin' where I'm atWell I'll be home when tomorrow morninAnd that's alright'Cause I'll be home when tomorrow morninAnd that's alright'Cause I'll be home when tomorrow mornin comes.

And it is alright. Because I get to be with him for the rest of our lives. I've made him promise to die first so I'd never have to be without him. Call it cheesy, call it lame, call it whatever you want. I'll just keep calling it love.

Thursday, February 7, 2013

I think that at different parts of my life I've believed that people couldn't change. At other points I've believed that all people do is change as long as they're healthy and actively observant and introspective. Finally I believe that I've come to a solid and stable conclusion to this. Remarkably so, the Westboro Baptist Church has helped me come to this conclusion.
If you know of this church you know just how insane that just sounded. This church is the radical group that you may have heard about protesting at funerals of soldiers, husbands, wives, sons, daughters, parents and children as though there is no difference. They spew hate in the name of god, giving the entire world a negative view of this group, occasionally spreading this terrible view to the entire country, or within the country to all Christian groups.

This is a photo of some of the children in the church. The adults involved start spreading these hateful messages to their children from the start, and use these children to spread their hateful ideals.

How could this horrible organization help me come to any healthy conclusion on people and if they can change? Megan Phelps-Roper. Megan has been an active member of the church from the day she was born until just a few months ago, making it nearly 27 years of spewing hate and pain. Then, she left. Anyone familiar with WBC knows that anyone who leaves is shunned, ignored, and treated as a traitor. I'm unsure on what would happen if people wanted to return after leaving, but I'm fairly certain that they would NOT be welcomed back with open arms. Back to Megan. Megan Phelps-Roper was the frontline of social media for the group. She started tweeting, posting on Facebook, making appearances on both news and talk shows (usually with her mother by her side), and spreading the word of the WBC as far and wide as she could. She became the face of the church to our generation, and we all felt a deep hatred for what she came to represent.

Back to Megan. Has she changed or not? My answer and my overall conclusion on this issue? Both. Megan has left this hate filled organization, leaving behind a trail of hurt and sadness that she now recognizes she's caused. She can now see the pain she caused people, and she has made a decision to stop. All of this points to change, right? Except for this one little thing. Megan believed that she was doing the right thing, spreading the word of God, helping people see the error in their ways. In an interview done with her mother while she was still an active member of the church a journalist asked her what she wanted her legacy to be, given the reputation that her family had been creating. Megan told the journalist: "That I treated people right." This girl, spreading pain and hate, believed she was treating people right then. Call it brainwashing, or pure misinformation, but she believed what she was doing was for the country as a whole. She believed that she was helping. Now that she see's things differently she has a lot to consider. She has to figure out how to be a person she's happy with. She has to figure out what -and how- to change.

The point of all of this? People may change. They can change their beliefs, their actions, and their attitude, but they cannot change who they are underneath the layers that they put forward. Megan Phelps-Roper is a person that wants to treat people right. I've always wanted to help people in any way I could. I know other people that seem to only be able to be mean and manipulative no matter what facade they put on or situation they get into. We can change the image we put forth, but we can't change who we are deep down.

With this new realization I've decided that I can only do my best to examine the deeper parts of people when deciding on what level of relationship I want to have with them. I'd like to believe that everyone is good deep down, but unfortunately I've found some people that aren't quite there at the core. I hope that in the future my choices in friends will reflect what I've shared here, and hopefully you will too.

Here's a phenomenal comic, once again from iamarg.com.

It's delightful, and I hope it can make you laugh like it makes me smile, every time!

If you'd like to read more about Megan Phelps-Roper and what she's going through here are a couple of links: